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The United Kingdom's attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish ministers, has demanded Nigel Farage to issue an apology to school contemporaries who assert he racially abused them during their time at school.

Hermer remarked that Farage had "obviously deeply hurt" many people, based on their descriptions of his alleged conduct. He noted that the politician's "constantly changing" statements had been unconvincing.

“During his replies to legitimate questions, not once has Farage genuinely condemned antisemitism,” Hermer informed a news outlet.

Further Testimonies Emerge

A published report last month outlined the testimony of over a dozen former classmates of Farage from a private college.

One, Peter Ettedgui, said that a teenage Farage "would approach me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘send them to the gas chambers’, sometimes adding a long hiss to mimic the sound of the Nazi gas chambers”.

Another student of colour claimed that when he was about nine, he was singled out by a older Farage.

“He came over to a pupil with two similarly tall mates and spoke to anyone looking ‘unusual’,” the individual said. “That included me on three separate times; questioning me where I was from, and motioning, saying: ‘That’s the way back,’ to wherever you answered you were from.”

After the story broke, additional individuals have stepped forward; around two dozen people have now alleged they were either targets of or observed hurtful past behaviour by Farage.

The behaviour they outlined relate to the period when Farage was aged between 13 and 18.

Changing Stories

The political figure has disputed that anything he did was "blatantly" racist or antisemitic, and has suggested the former classmates were misremembering.

Observers have noted that Farage has neglected to condemn antisemitism and other forms of racism in a wider sense in his statements.

They also reference his failure to reprimand a colleague in his party, a MP, after she made remarks about the number of people of colour she saw in television commercials. She later said sorry for the statements.

“His constantly changing story about his behaviour to his Jewish classmates [is] unconvincing, to say the least,” Hermer commented.

He added: “Suggesting that a group of people have somehow misremembered the same things about his offensive behaviour simply isn’t credible."

Question of Character

“If he wants to be seen as a legitimate candidate for prime minister, he must address the fears of the Jewish people, and say sorry to the those he has clearly deeply hurt by his behaviour,” Hermer stated.

“Bigotry in all its forms is anathema to the standards of this country and we should not let it to ever become accepted in politics.”

In a other comments, the Chancellor said Farage should “make a statement” if he wanted to be considered a real leader.

“It is very telling how little he has to say, and the precisely drafted words that both you and I would identify as being crafted in a certain style to say something, but also not to say something,” she said.

Legal Letters and Later Statements

In legal letters before the publication of the investigation, Farage’s representatives claimed that “the suggestion that Mr Farage ever was involved in, condoned, or led this behaviour is categorically denied”.

Farage later appeared to change his position in an discussion, stating: “Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter, you could interpret in a today's standards today in some sort of way? Possibly.”

He said that he had “not once intentionally attempted to go and harm anybody”. Farage subsequently put out a fresh denial: “I can tell you unequivocally that I did not say the things that have been reported when I was 13, so long ago.”